Introducing: Joshua Phrakhun

For people who are just being introduced to you, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Joshua Phrakhun. I’m 17 years old and aspiring to become a successful filmmaker. Based in Brisbane, Australia I use YouTube as a means of ensuring my content is accessible worldwide. I thrive of good vibes.

When did filmmaking happen for you?

For me filmmaking began just over 2 years ago. Around the age of 15 years old I purchased my first DSLR camera (Canon 1100D) and
it wasn’t long before I discovered I had a real passion for shooting shorts. From then onwards, with every film I created, my passion and ability grew.

Is there a certain person or place that inspired you to create?

When I’m on the move I feel very inspired to create; if that’s road-tripping or backpacking, I get this drive to shoot and capture my surroundings. Around my friends, I also feel very inspired to create; they amp me up horridly, and really make me feel like anything is possible. For this reason, I often find myself creating the best content when I’m with them.

What interests you the most about creating short films?

The fact that I can travel and shoot some of the most incredible environments on the world and then have the ability to share that with absolutely anyone. In this day and age, filmmaking has never been more accessible and for that reason I’m able to bring anybody along on my adventures.

Would you say your work has a particular style?

Up until very recently, I never believed my work had a particular style, but with every film I create it’s becoming more and more apparent that I do. For me, my style is very heavily influenced by the creators I choose to watch. I try to gather various skills and techniques I can pick up through the films I watch and then incorporate that into my own productions. I create content that I’d enjoy watching my and that gives me a lot of space to work with.

How do you shoot in non-ideal shooting conditions?

I guess there really isn’t a whole lot you can do except to suck it up and make the most of what you have. For me, filmmaking is all about trial and error, experimenting new things and discovering what works for you. Be creative. You could have the most expensive equipment in the world, be in the most incredible places in the world, but if you’re not being creative, what is setting you from the rest?

What is the most changeling aspect of filmmaking for you?

I don’t often find the process of creating a film very challenging. As I mentioned earlier, it’s all about trial and error. If you are patient and persistent, it will eventually come and
your viewers will see the results of that. I very much enjoy editing and if I’m working on a film that proves to be a challenging edit, it is so much more rewarding when it’s finished.

Do you feel there is a lot of competing people doing the same sort of thing as you?

If I find someone in a similar position to myself, creating similar content, I usually feel obliged to tell them how their content has made me feel. 9 times out of 10 I will feel incredibly inspired and motivated to create. Though there are people within the YouTube community who are definitely competing, if that be for more views, subscribers or likes. Those things really don’t matter to me when I find a new creator. If I enjoy their content, I’ll subscribe.

What is the most time consuming part in the process of making a film?

For me, it’s a matter of planning the film so everything can flow together. If I know exactly how I want my film to look, it can take me as few a 3 hours, though if I don’t know what I’m looking for, it can take anywhere up to a month to complete. Though the more films I create, the more I’m understanding that planning is a crucial and vital aspect of content creating.

If you could pass on any advice to a budding filmmaker, what would it be?

Honestly, don’t follow trends. Be true to what you enjoy and work to ensure that your films are a direct result of that. For a long time I tried to gain an audience through making “Vlogs” (Video Blogs), purely because I had seen other creators with a large following becoming successful with them. I really didn’t enjoy making them or watching them – it just wasn’t me – and they were taking the fun out of creating films altogether. Around the same time I stopped making them, I discovered a large amount of incredible filmmakers, I sort of took what techniques, I could pick up and channeled them into my ‘STORYTELLERS I SOUTH AMERICA’ film which gained much more positive feedback. So basically, create the sort of content you would enjoy watching.

Are there any filmmakers whom you look up too?

Yes, definitely. I wouldn’t be capable of creating the content I do today if I had never found the creators I enjoy viewing. They are constant inspiration and motivation to not give up. For me the biggest are ‘Ben Brown’, ‘Tim Kellner’, ‘Dan Mace’, ‘Will Darbyshire’, ‘Jack Burke’ and Casey Neistat’, although every creator I choose to watch influences the decisions I make when producing a film. I definitely feel as though the creators I choose to watch, play a direct result on my own work.

What filming equipment do you like to use?

I like to shoot on the Canon 60D DSLR with a Canon 24-105mm f/2.8 or Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens. I will also use a Glide-Cam XR-2000 and a RODE Microphone on occasion.

What do you aspire to do with your set of skills in filmmaking?

I hope to move onto bigger things, for now my ambition is to build a larger community of followers on my YouTube channel and begin posting films more frequently. To be completely honest, I really don’t know where I want filmmaking to take me, I know I’m set on it as a career eventually but for now I’m content posting them onto an online portfolio.

What can we expect from you in 2015?

Plenty of exciting things. 2015 is going to be the year. I’m excited to get completely stuck in and dedicated to the YouTube community and like I said build a larger following.
Now I have finished School, University will be starting in the coming months and it will be a matter of balancing the two. I also have plenty of exciting plans to travel and collaborate with other talented content creators which I’m super excited for! 2015 is going to be a huge year and I’m stoked to dive straight into it.

If we were to bump into you in Brisbane, where would that most likely happen?

It would either be a surfing or coffee shop on the Sunshine Coast. There are some sweet vibes around and I often find myself spending a lot of time there!